Behavioral Review and Recommendation Team

The Behavioral Review and Recommendation Team (BRRT) is dedicated to the identification of, evaluation of, and response to members of the University community whose behavior has raised concern indicating the potential for violence or the need for help.

The team's purpose is to centralize the reporting of concerns and encourage early intervention. The team performs an initial assessment of risk and develops a support plan, within existing University policies, to mitigate risk and promote individual well-being and success.

The focused efforts of BRRT are to:

• Assess situations of concern
• Recommend and coordinate University response
• Provide support and resources to help students and/or employees

Team Responsibilities

• Receive, review and maintain a record of information regarding student and/or employee behavior that is potentially harmful and/or disruptive to the University community.
• Perform initial assessment of risk and develop a support plan, within existing University policies, to mitigate risk and promote individual well-being and success. Provide follow-up and assessment of support plan.
• Make recommendations for action and share information with University faculty, staff and others, as appropriate, to assist with managing potentially harmful or disruptive behavior.
• Connect individuals with appropriate campus and/or community resources.
• Educate the University community on the Behavioral Review and Recommendation (BRRT) process and how to identify and report student and/or employee behaviors of concern.
• Review Behavioral Review and Recommendation Team (BRRT) procedures and protocols, and assess team effectiveness and compliance with University policies.

The Behavioral Review and Recommendation Team is housed in the Dean of Students OFFICE and is comprised of campus administrators from stakeholder departments throughout the university. Team members are trained in threat assessment and crisis response. BRRT meets weekly to review reports so as to perform an initial assessment of risk. Others may be asked to attend as appropriate, depending on the situation. The team consults with UW System Legal Counsel as needed.

IDENTIFYING A PERSON IN DISTRESS

Behaviors suggesting a person in distress

• Hostile, aggressive, or otherwise disruptive behavior
• Talking or writing about suicide or homicide
• Evidence of self-harming behavior
• Inability to communicate clearly
• Disjointed thoughts,
• garbled or slurred speech, loss of contact with reality
• Unexplained crying, irritability, anxiety, or anger
• Beliefs or actions at odds with reality; seeing or hearing things that are not there
• Significant lowering of performance
• Changes in attendance or performance
• Decreased ability to concentrate
• Changes in personal hygiene, dress, or appetite
• Comments idolizing school shooters, etc.

How to help a person in distress

• Listen
  •  Stop what you are doing and genuinely listen to what the person is saying
  • If appropriate, speak to the person privately to minimize embarrassment
• Acknowledge
  • Be sure the person is aware that you cannot keep expressions of harm to self or others confidential
  • Express concern and interest and let the person know you are listening
  • Avoid criticizing or sounding judgmental
  • Remember, althought it may not seem like a crisis to you, it still feels like one to the person
• Assess
  • Ask open-ended questions to help you better understand and clarify the problem
  • Consider questions like, "What have you thought about doing?" or "Have you had thoughts about suicide?"
  • Explore options with the person, but don't expect to have all the answers
• Refer
  • Don't ignore comments about suicide, violence, or harm to self or others
  • Clarify the limits of your ability to help
  • Offer to accompany the person to the appropriate support office
  • Do not agree to keep the problem a secret